Many of us might've gotten an invite to join friends for a pickleball session, the game that's boomed in the last few years. However, venture capitalists and retired tennis pros are taking it up a notch with a more exotic racket sport.
Padel clubs are popping up all over the US and attracting an affluent group of followers. Financiers and former athletes pay premium prices to rent out the glass-walled courts.
At first glance, it looks a lot like pickleball, but padel has gained the attention of the luxury realm. Big names like Richard Mille, Valentino, and Prada are advertising to the crowd it has attracted, according to Business of Fashion.
Pickleball is more popular in the US, with about 13.6 million players in 2023, US Pickleball said, citing a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
The International Padel Federation says it has over 25 million active players in more than 130 countries worldwide in 2024.
"I joke to my friends that it's like the new golf," an employee at New York City's Padel Haus told Business Insider during a tour of its Dumbo location, which they say is a place some finance bros bring their clients to work up a sweat while socializing or discussing business.
Here's everything BI's learned about it so far and how it's different from pickleball.